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Family room addition ideas


Home addition ideas: 10 space-expanding designs |

(Image credit: Future / Matthew Williams)

If you love where you live but your home doesn’t meet your needs any longer, home addition ideas are what’s required. They can spare you the search for a new property and the stress of uprooting the family to a new neighborhood.

Additions can transform a home in many ways. An addition could expand an existing kitchen perhaps, so there’s space for an island, create an extra living room, or even add a new level to the house to meet changing needs. Or perhaps you are looking to add an extra story or simply take advantage of sunroom ideas to enjoy the weather and your backyard view from indoors.

To inspire your home addition ideas we’ve put together a selection of fabulous rooms that delivered both extra space and style for the homeowners.

Home addition ideas

Planning a home addition can be a fulfilling project. From smaller additions such as a sunroom to a whole new story, home addition ideas have the potential to vastly improve life at home.  

When you are starting your home renovation, it is also important to know about home addition costs. Whether it’s a small or large addition, it’s essential to have an adequate budget for the project from the start. Take a look at these examples to get you started.

1. Size up for a growing family

(Image credit: Leslie Saul & Associates)

Consider more than one addition to adapt a home to family circumstances. Several additions were made to this 1920s Tudor to fit the lifestyle of a young family by Leslie Saul & Associates . 

‘A primary bedroom and bath were added above the existing garage, the dining room was expanded to the front of the house, and a large family room was added to the back (seen above), styled to match the Tudor original, including a large craftsman stone and stucco fireplace,’ says Leslie Saul.

2. Connect old and new

(Image credit: M Lavender Interiors Photograph: Chris Bradley Photography)

An addition can link the original house with a new area of the home. ‘This addition was the conversion of a screen porch into a year-round sitting room,’ explains Mark Lavender, principal designer of M Lavender Interiors . ‘It provides the transitional connection between the existing historic home and the newly constructed kitchen and family room addition.  

‘It is located immediately off the foyer and is viewed from the living room, foyer and kitchen areas of the home. Our client loves color and we have used vibrant primary and secondary colors throughout the home and felt this space deserved to be a quiet respite for the homeowner. Our client has claimed this room as her own in a house with five boys and her husband. She uses it for her needlepointing and for reading.   

‘This room is one of my favorite rooms in the house. We love the filtered light that streams into the room from the large windows and the surrounding trees. It is such a light and airy space and we chose to enhance that feeling with the neutral sofa and window treatments. We enhanced this with pops of colors on the toss pillows – the fabric of the chinoiserie toss pillows matches the wallcovering in the adjacent foyer and the vibrant blue chair.  The rug marries the main colors together in a handsome traditional way.’

3. Expand the kitchen

(Image credit: Rebel Builders Photograph: Freebird)

Popular home addition ideas include boosting the size of the kitchen to make it a space to share with family and friends, and you can do this with a conservatory design.

‘This kitchen was an essential renovation for our clients who craved a space for entertaining, while also making room for their growing family,’ says Diana Pauro, founder of Rebel Builders . ‘This professional kitchen island idea was designed with hydronic radiant floors, custom cabinets, and an enormous island perfect for food prep and gathering. 

‘After studying the exterior and finding the best layout of the windows to align with the existing ones and with the interior requirements, we decided not to have upper cabinets in the main kitchen wall. By choosing open shelving the wall felt lighter and had a better flow connecting existing with the new footprint.

‘Because the clients emphasized their need for natural light and connection to their backyard, a total of 11 new windows were also included. The clients’ choice of dark stained wood detailing was influenced by the adjacent dining room wall paneling to help the spaces transition more smoothly. This high contrast color scheme was a must for the clients. We explored many options and decided to have the black windows create a picture frame that would show vignettes of the greenery outside.’

4. Create a spacious primary bedroom

(Image credit: Maggie Griffin Design Photograph: Brian Bieder)

If your main bedroom isn’t living up to its name, home addition ideas might be on the agenda to boost its size. This bedroom addition from Maggie Griffin Design is a luxurious room that’s light filled thanks to its French windows.

A white paneled ceiling also helps keep the addition bright by reflecting the natural light, while floral trail drapes and upholstery link indoors with out.

5. Complement original architecture

(Image credit: Leslie Saul & Associates)

An addition inspired by the architecture of a home can be the perfect choice, as it was for this home located in a historic district in Massachusetts. 

‘A great room addition fits into a saltbox shape, low in the front, so as not to overpower the original colonial house, and high in the back, to provide light and views to the beautiful site,’ says Leslie Saul.

6. Work within the rules

(Image credit: JL Design)

Zoning regulations may affect home addition ideas, but that doesn’t mean boosting a home’s size is out of the question. 

‘This was a home in a historic overlay that required we keep the existing 1940s front elevation,’ says Jessica Davis, owner and principal designer at JL Design . ‘We removed the entire back wall of the existing home and added approximately 2800 square foot to this modern home, in addition to this roughly 500 square foot screened porch.  

‘Our clients wanted the ability to open the interior space to the exterior space which was achieved with an extra wide glass sliding door. The young couple wanted to be able to use the space year round so we added heaters in the ceiling as well as ceiling fans, screen and draperies to keep out the elements when needed. 

‘This couple also loves to entertain so it was important that we provide seating for parties and events. The decor is reflective of the modern interior of the home and an extension of that.’

7. Retain a home’s character

(Image credit: Rebel Builders Photograph: Freebird)

Additions can substantially increase a home’s size while keeping its existing character. 

‘This was a project for clients who loved the property that they owned,’ explains Diana Pauro. ‘They had access to a lake and they had a supportive community where they were. They didn’t want to leave but their house was too small. So instead of moving out of the amazing property, they decided to build this addition. Ultimately, we ended up doubling the square footage of the house. 

‘We had months of design where we asked ourselves, “how do we create an addition, that keeps the original character of the house, without making it look like we built on an addition?” We played a lot with volumes and proportions to make sure this addition was as smooth as possible. 

‘We put the family room looking over their beautiful backyard to bring the outside in. We created the mudroom and the breakfast nook to alleviate the uses of the kitchen, which was used as an eat-in kitchen/living room previously. 

‘There was no second floor so we created a new staircase with a new main suite. Their vision was a modern and luxurious suite with an office that could also be a guest room when needed. Although the bathroom for the office/guest room is a Jack and Jill style bathroom, this space would be primarily used by the clients, so this wasn’t an issue for them. They also wanted a massive walk-in closet with a vanity for her to get ready at.  

‘We were able to take this humble little house and turn it into this big family modern farmhouse with bold statements such as light flooring, vaulted ceilings, and a gorgeous en suite with crisp colors and textures.’

8. Make a porch all-season

(Image credit: Georgia Zikas Design)

A sunroom can prove a relatively low cost way to increase space in a home. Georgia Zikas of Georgia Zikas Design transformed this 15 x 20 screened-in porch into a four season room with baseboard heat and sliders to outside. The patio was expanded with new blue stone, too, while porcelain tile flooring looks like gray slate. There’s a wood ceiling with sheetrock blue board for moisture, plus painted brick, and the fresh furnishings are all outdoor grade.

‘A sunroom really expands the footprint and adds great square footage, increasing home value,’ says Georgia. ‘A vaulted ceiling (which we did here) is fantastic for adding height to the room.’

9. Add indoors and out

(Image credit: Murray Lampert)

It’s always worth thinking about improving outside space at the same time when planning an addition.

Murray Lampert Design, Build, Remodel added the left hand wing to this home, creating an en suite that boosts the home’s square footage. But also added was a walking deck, creating useful extra outdoor space to enjoy. 

10. Get a lot from a little

(Image credit: MC Design)

An addition to a room doesn’t have to be sizeable to improve a property by a large measure.

‘In this living room, the wall originally ended where the fireplace wall ends,’ explains Los Angeles-based Megan Dufresne, principal designer at MC Design . ‘We added on to allow a natural flow from one room to another and add on to the living space.

Is it worth it to add on to your house?

It can be worth it to add on to your house, but it will depend on individual circumstances. ‘The return on investment depends on size, comparables and what the market bears in the area,’ says Gregg Cantor, president and CEO of Murray Lampert Design, Build, Remodel .

Keep in mind that adding on to your house will save the costs of moving home as well as the upheaval. It can also improve your quality of life, which can definitely make a well designed addition worthwhile.

Can you build an addition without a foundation?

Generally, you can’t build an addition without a foundation. As an example, ‘In California, the building code requires footings for all exterior walls,’ says Gregg Cantor. Check the building code for your area or speak to a local architect or design and build contractor.

One way of avoiding having to construct a foundation could be to add a second story. There’s a caveat here, though. ‘If you are building up you need to make sure the existing structure beneath can hold the weight,’ says Susan Taylor of Davis Taylor Design .

Another option could be an addition that’s cantilevered off the existing foundation, and this could be an option if you only need to add a small amount of space.  

Sarah is a freelance journalist and editor. Previously executive editor of Ideal Home, she’s specialized in interiors, property and gardens for over 20 years, and covers interior design, house design, gardens, and cleaning and organizing a home for H&G. She’s written for websites, including Houzz, Channel 4’s flagship website, 4Homes, and Future’s T3; national newspapers, including The Guardian; and magazines including Future’s Country Homes & Interiors, Homebuilding & Renovating, Period Living, and Style at Home, as well as House Beautiful, Good Homes, Grand Designs, Homes & Antiques, LandLove and The English Home among others. It’s no big surprise that she likes to put what she writes about into practice, and is a serial house renovator. 

13 Stunning Home Addition Ideas of All Sizes

By

Deirdre Sullivan

Deirdre Sullivan

Deirdre Sullivan is an interior design expert and features writer who specializes in home improvement as well as design. She began her career as an assistant editor at Elle magazine and has more than a decade of experience. Deirdre contributes content for brands including The Spruce and Realtor.com, and has been a featured speaker at various conferences.

Learn more about The Spruce's Editorial Process

Updated on 10/27/21

The Spruce / Christopher Lee Foto

If you need more space in your house, consider an addition rather than searching for a larger home. For many homeowners, it is a smart investment that increases livable square footage while boosting a home's value. Even if you intend to sell your home shortly, you'll likely recoup around 60 percent of your renovation costs, according to Remodeling's 2020 Cost Vs. Value Report.

Additions can be grand, such as building on second additions or two-story spaces, but they don't need to be. From bump-outs to micro-additions, there are plenty of smaller ways that will greatly impact your home's comfort while optimizing your floor plan. For example, enhance an addition with small tricks like installing a glass wall to take an otherwise boxy annex from dark and closed to bright and airy.

Here are 13 small, large, and unexpected home additions to inspire your renovation plans.

Best Home Renovation Apps

How to Build a Room Addition With Contractors

ideas for a cozy interior - INMYROOM

You just moved into a new house, and the interior seems to you not cozy enough, and you don’t have money for quality repairs. Do you know how decorate the room? Designers believe that a cozy house is the one that smartly and beautifully designed. No matter how the room would be furnished, its empty walls can ruin the whole interior. Also, the design will appear unfinished. Therefore, a good solution would be to try to decorate it. Not at all necessary use the services of specialists, but it is better to try to do it on one's own. nine0003

Wall painting

Wall painting is considered one of the most beautiful ways to decorate a room, so it is not surprising that even in the old days masters covered the walls with unique frescoes. Also, by painting the walls, you can achieve an increase or decrease in space. Unlike those distant times, the painting technology in our time has not only remained the same, but has become even simpler. This is due to the fact that today only modern types of paints and materials are used to decorate walls. nine0003

Before starting wall painting, you need to carefully consider what exactly should be depicted on them, and make sure that the pattern is harmonious with the overall design of the room. Cosiness and harmony in the children's room will help to create large solid elements that should be very bright. While the living room is better suited large The drawing is only on one wall.

The next step is primer, putty walls, that is, preparation for the painting itself. Only after After that, you can start decorating the walls with drawings. Draw right away paints on the wall is better if you have artistic skills and you are sure you will do well. Otherwise, you can download lots of stencils from the internet. Their use is first, the stencil is applied to the wall, then circle it with a pencil or paints and only then the outline of the stencil begins. nine0003

Photos, paintings, mirrors, clocks

Another way how to beautifully decorate a room to create coziness is photos, paintings, mirrors and clocks. Previously, you could see black and white family photos on the walls, because they look very hospitable and cozy. To achieve complete harmony, you need to combine different photos, experiment with their sizes and the color scheme of the frames, because pictures that are the same in size look completely inharmonious, boring and unattractive in one row. nine0003

There are many options for the location of photos and paintings, depending on their size. Can be around one large picture to arrange many small ones. Also on the wall hang just one, but a large picture. It all depends on imagination and desires of the owner of the house. Moreover, when choosing a design, it is worth considering the atmosphere. the room they will be in. For example, the bedroom will be beautiful look romantic photos, common ones are more suitable for the living room family, and for children - cheerful, cheerful photos. Also, as room decorations should use panels, but it is worth remembering that they are better hang at eye level. nine0003

Mirror also considered a good option for decorating a room. The effect of warmth and comfort in the room is created provided that the mirror is hung so that it reflects photographs, paintings or panel. For mirrors, you should choose an interesting frame or make it independently, for example, using wooden clothespins, acrylic paints and varnish.

How to decorate a house with appliqués

The easiest, simplest and most original way to decorate a wall in a room is a pattern on the walls made from the remnants of wallpaper and stickers, that is, an appliqué. Using this method, you can create any pattern and pattern, as well as beautiful inscriptions by drawing them on a computer and carefully sticking them on the wall. But it is worth remembering that bright applications are suitable for children's rooms, and in other rooms you can use pastel colors. If you do not pick up contrasting wallpapers for the application, then the pattern may not be noticeable enough. Using this type of wall decoration, you can not only slightly change the look of the room, but also radically transform the interior of the room. nine0003

Embroidery, textiles, pillows

Another way to decorate a room with your own hands is embroidery. If you love and know how to embroider, then this will be very easy to do. With the help of embroidery, you can enliven the interior of the room and make it more harmonious, giving completeness. The location of the embroidered paintings depends only on the individual taste and desires of the owner of the house.

The easiest way how to decorate a room - these are sofa cushions. They can also be used for contrast, and to complement the color scheme of the room. Color, fabric, cushion pattern depends on the desired effect and the interior of the room. For the best result it is advisable to experiment, but, of course, do not forget about the style of your rooms. nine0003

Paper decoration ideas

Not only pillows or paintings can decorate a room. There is an affordable and easy way: use paper. What options?

Paper home decoration is an easy way to make changes to your interior. It will also serve as an excellent temporary solution, hiding a stain or dent on the wall, imperfection of the furniture. nine0003

Curtains for home decoration

Curtains play an important role in the interior of a room. Their change often drastically changes the look of the room. Now there is a huge selection of curtains for every taste, because their choice will not be a big problem, but will significantly help in changing the interior. When choosing curtains, it is worth remembering that they should be several tones brighter than the walls of the room. Also, do not forget about the retainers for curtains, which should fit the overall interior of the room.

Decorating a room with shelves

A functional and aesthetic way to decorate your home with your own hands is to use shelves. How to do it?

Do not forget two rules: for the shelves to really decorate the house, they must contrast with the wall, and the objects on them must be arranged harmoniously, without chaos.

Lighting

Lighting is a great way to decorate a room and plays one of the most important roles in decorating. Just changing the lighting will help to achieve huge results in decoration. After all, it is a large amount of light that is a frequent technique used by designers. Lots of natural soft light in your bedroom or living room will help you relax, while a cool color in your office will help you concentrate. nine0003

Plants, flowers

It is known that flowers and plants are not only the main source of oxygen, but also a beautiful and modern decoration for the room. With the help of plants, you can refresh the room, make the interior more natural and natural. But you need to use flowers in moderation and try not to overdo it, otherwise the room will look like a greenhouse. Flowers are chosen depending on the color and size of the plant. But it is worth remembering that plant species are selected not only depending on your taste, but also depending on the conditions needed by certain types of flowers. Some like a lot of moisture, others a lot of sunlight or shade, so this feature should also be taken into account. nine0003

DIY crafts

There are different ideas on the Internet to decorate a room with your own hands by creating a variety of crafts. Here are a few of them.

Circle painting

A very easy way to decorate a room with your own hands is a bubble painting. To create it, we only need a tablet, scissors, a large brush, matte decoupage glue, white acrylic paint and papyrus paper of the desired colors. First you need to paint the tablet with a layer of white paint and dry, then cut out circles of different sizes from papyrus paper and distribute them on the tablet according to your tastes. Next, glue the circles and gently smooth them with a brush. The bubble painting is ready. Also, instead of circles, you can use completely different shapes to your taste. nine0003

Images from Instagram

Paste photos from Instagram onto a square tablet using a brush and glue, after printing them out and cutting them out. It is worth considering the size of photos and a tablet. For 9 10x10 photos to fit perfectly, the base should be 30x30. You can also do without cardboard by sticking images directly on the wall using double-sided tape. The idea for decorating the room is ready.

Topographic threads

This way of decorating a room requires accuracy and patience. We will need a wooden tablet, a hammer, small nails and thread. First, we apply the desired pattern to the base. Then we put a few points into which we drive nails. Next, we tie the thread to one nail and randomly wrap it around each nail. For better results, you can repeat the process with a thread of a different color.

Video

We recommend watching these videos to help decorate the room in an original way. nine0003

project from Moscow - INMYROOM

Interior decor

On an area of ​​20 square meters, designers created a modern loft-style bedroom with a carefully thought-out storage system and a well-organized workplace

Pencil-case rooms in our standard apartments are not uncommon and far not a gift. And this is exactly what Olesya Solyanova got to work, who had to create an interior comfortable for the student here. The designer easily coped with the not very successful configuration of an elongated room, skillfully zoning it into 3 functional parts: an office, a bedroom and a dressing room. And betting on the loft style that is relevant today, Olesya also managed to create a fashionable, modern space for the young man. nine0003

General information

City: Moscow
Meter: 20 square meters
Ceiling heights: 2.8 m
Designer: Olesya Solyanova (ASN GROUP)

ASN Group - NOT OSE NOT OST creative, caring people, true professionals in their field. The head of the design bureau is Olesya Solyanova. While working on interior design, each employee of the studio strives to create an original, unique atmosphere that will reflect the character of the customer. nine0003

Customer and wishes

3 people live in this apartment: the head of the family is a businessman, 46 years old, his wife and son, 18 years old, a student. For him, the interior of this room of 20 square meters was created. Our task was to create a functional bedroom with a dressing room and a well-thought-out work area. Bold "concrete" colors were supposed to be responsible for the modern and youthful atmosphere in the interior.

Redevelopment

One of the priorities was to allocate a comfortable working area for the student. Initially, the room did not have any internal partitions, but based on the wishes of the customers, it was decided to designate several zones, including a dressing room made of frosted glass. nine0003

Finishing

The TV wall is finished with clinker tiles, but the surface behind the bed can be solved in several ways, decorating with Mr.Perswall photo wallpapers or printing on tempered glass. We left the rest of the walls for painting. Self-leveling floors were a prerequisite for the customer.

Storage

When creating a dedicated work area, organizing spacious shelving on both sides of the table was a logical outcome. During the work on the project, it was decided for practicality to make most of the racks of the closed type. nine0003

Light

Creating a variety of lighting was also one of the main objectives of the project. There are 4 main groups of lighting in the room: surface-mounted points, Leucos pendant lights directly above the work area, similar lights above the bed, and LED lighting for beams and shelving shelves at the same time.

Color

The main colors of the entire apartment are gray, white, woody. And as a contrast to them - black. We used the same palette in the student's room: we diluted the cold gray shades with warm accents in the form of wooden beams on the ceiling and mustard and khaki textiles. nine0003

Furniture

We used modern and practical furniture in the room. Racks, work area will be made to order.

Decor and textiles

Decor and textiles against the background of the cold walls of the loft were planned to be done in warm colors: a sand-colored carpet appeared on the floor, coffee-colored curtains adorn the windows, with which the upholstery of the bed harmonizes well. Bed linen - mustard and khaki colors, with a fashionable check print.

Style

Based on the wishes of the customer, the interior of the room was decorated in a loft style. Accordingly, the choice in the color scheme of gray "concrete" shades, as an addition to concrete - red and white brick walls.

Learn more